Bertie Ahern
Question:61 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government supports the establishment of the proposed Springvale campus on the peace line in west Belfast. [5443/95]
Written Answers. - West Belfast Peace Line.
The proposed establishment of a campus of the University of Ulster at Springvale between West and North Belfast is of major significance both in terms of improving access to higher education and in contributing to the regeneration of one of the most economically and socially deprived areas in Northern Ireland. The Government has consistently made clear its support for this imaginative initiative, including through the mechanism of the Anglo-Irish Conference, and has encouraged a positive response by the British authorities.
A feasibility study of the project commissioned by the University of Ulster found that the proposed campus, in addition to taking 3,750 full-time equivalent students, would generate up to 1,500 new jobs. Experience elsewhere also suggests that the presence of the campus would be helpful in attracting much-needed inward investment. This is clearly of great importance in an area which has been characterised by high levels of unemployment, poverty and social deprivation. The projects's potential in helping to promote employment and assist community development has already been recognised by the International Fund for Ireland which announced last November that it was committing £5 million by way of pumppriming support to the cost of the project.
If the project is to be of maximum benefit to the community, of course it is essential that the community be involved in its planning and execution. Therefore, I welcome the university's intention to work closely with local communities, both by establishing courses which meet the particular needs of the area and by developing a dialogue with community representatives so that the project can move forward on the basis of the widest possible consensus.
I understand that the British Government is continuing its examination of the proposal and that a further study of its economic impact is likely to be completed shortly. I am confident — on the basis of the extensive research already carried out — that the proposed campus would make a valuable contribution to the development and renewal of this seriously disadvantaged area. I will continue to follow progress on this project closely and to encourage a positive response by the British Government in the interests of all the communities concerned in North and West Belfast.